Symbolism: Man's best friend - Bill Sike's Dog

Bill Sikes's dog Bulls-Eye is actually a crucial character in better understanding the personality of Bill Sikes believe or not. Bulls-Eye symbolizes Bill Sikes's shadow. They both share similar personalities including anger problems and violent temper. Bulls-Eye is always with Sikes no matter where he goes. They act as if they are one in the same. Bulls-Eye can even be read as kind of embodiment or manifestation of Sikes soul. Once Sikes killed Nancy, he felt guilty and remorseful for what he did that he almost went out of his mind. This is when Bulls-Eye leaves him. Perhaps it can be argued that Bulls-Eye symbolizes Sikes's violent personality and impulses and thus because Bulls-Eye left, Sikes is more calmer and remorseful for the actions he did in the past. Sikes even tries to kill his dog because he sees it as reflection of his bad self. But in the end the dog ends up killing himself when Sikes hangs himself. This shows that the dog cannot live without Sikes because the dog is a part of who he is.